(Sioux Falls, SD) – A unique procedure performed by Tom Stys, MD and Adam Stys, MD with Sanford Heart Hospital was recently selected as case of the week by Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT), the premier educational resource for the interventional cardiology and endovascular medicine community.

Cases featured by TCT are innovative and complex, often describing, for the first time, an application or a technique. Cases featured weekly with TCT are used by physicians nationally and internationally as an educational resource on the latest procedures, techniques and methods in cardiology. The cases are then used by other cardiologists across the nation and the world. Based in New York, the organization is highly regarded by physicians in the international cardiology community.

This case titled Sky High PCI of RCA was authored by Dr. Tom Stys with Dr. Adam Stys as the operator. This patient had a blocked artery that needed to be opened up in order for full blood flow to be restored. Because the artery was tortuous and filled with calcium blockage, it was impossible to place a stent to open up the blockage using standard techniques. In order to get this blockage opened, a new, never before published technique to open the artery was used. This technique was unique because normally the guide catheter has to be able to go down to the artery, in this case, did not provide enough support. The aorta was used as support, with the guide catheter “sky high” in it, enabling the stent to pass along a wire to get the blockage opened. Because of this new technique, a stent could be placed to open up the blockage; thereby restoring blood flow for the patient.

This is the tenth case in last two years published at TCT by Dr. Tom and Dr. Adam Stys because of their innovative procedures and techniques. The cases published by TCT by our doctors are exceptional for their complexity and methods and represent original contributions to the progress of international cardiology world wide.

Tom Stys, MD is a physician with Sanford Heart Hospital and holds five board certifications including Interventional Cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Adam Stys, MD is also a physician with Sanford Heart Hospital and holds five active board certifications including Interventional Cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine.